PORT ANGELES — After a landslide victory in the primary election, Clallam County District Court Judge Rick Porter said he will maintain the same policies in his courtroom.
Porter emerged from what he described as a “very difficult campaign” with 57.3 percent of the vote, which automatically qualified him for a third four-year term.
Tim Davis, a state assistant attorney general from Port Angeles, had 26 percent of the 20,040 ballots cast. Port Angeles attorney Pam Lindquist garnered 16.7 percent.
Unlike other races in the all-mail primary election, a judge who collects 50 percent plus one vote leapfrogs the general election.
A pivotal issue in Clallam County District Court 1 campaign was the pay-or-appear program that Porter implemented after taking the bench in 2002.
The pay-or-appear system requires offenders to pay fines, do community service work or explain to the judge why he or she can’t pay a fine.
If they fail to comply, they risk spending a night in the Clallam County jail.
“The people I heard from in the campaign — and I knocked on 5,000 doors — were very supportive of the pay-or-appear program,” Porter said, after the second batch of election results were posted by the Clallam County Auditor’s Office on Friday.
“Very few folks had issues with it.”
Porter said he will not change the program that was criticized by his opponents, with Davis in particular saying it amounts to a debtors’ prison.
He also said he will continue a community service program that he implemented in late 2008, which allows offenders who can’t pay their fines to work them off.
“We’ll continue giving them a way to success,” he said.
During the campaign, Porter stressed that pay-or-appear holds people accountable.
“Before we had pay-or-appear, there was no accountability at all,” he said.
“The court did nothing, except solicit a collecting agency.”
In pay-or-appear, Porter said “the court itself is making sure offenders follow though on what they’re required to do.”
“It’s a very, very efficient system,” Porter said.
Porter said pay-or-appear increased revenue from $1.4 million to $2.4 million since he’s been a judge. A portion of that money is used for drug and alcohol treatment and domestic violence programs.
“Without pay-or-appear, we wouldn’t have the funding,” he said.
“It’s the only funding source.”
Other jurisdictions, like Jefferson and Mason counties and Clallam County District Court 2 in Forks, also have pay-or-appear programs, Porter said.
“This is not unique to Clallam County,” he said.
“Many, many counties are doing this program or something similar to it.
“It holds people accountable. That is the primary objective of pay-or-appear.”
District Court 1 covers and area that spans from the eastern boundary of Clallam County to west side of Lake Crescent.
Porter was also criticized for the demeanor of the Port Angeles-based district court.
“Not once did they come up with a single example of it,” Porter said.
“Anyone can listen to the tape.”
Porter said his opponents had no legitimate issues to campaign on and resorted to “smear campaigning.”
“It’s unfortunate politics has gotten to that point,” he said.
Porter said he is “very glad” the campaign is over and “grateful to voters” for electing him to four more years.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
